Bright Summer days, the golds and reds of Autumn, cosy Winter evenings and the hope that a flourishing Spring season brings.
There’s a reason each season elicits such a strong emotional response within us – whether that’s happiness, or sadness for those who experience SAD (seasonal annual depression). These experiences are linked to how humans have evolved.
For thousands of years, we lived in partnership with nature, and the boundaries between human, plant and animal life were non-existent. We were (and still are!) nature. We evolved to wake at sunrise; spend our time outdoors in natural daylight; consume seasonal and local foods; to move and sleep differently depending upon the season; and to even socialise differently throughout the year. These oscillations in our seasonal routines meant we rested when we needed, and we were more alert and active when necessary.
Consuming seasonal foods meant we gave our bodies and minds the specific nutrients they needed at that exact time, supporting healthy digestion and detoxification. Today, we’re blessed with the ability to live comfortably, consuming watermelon in December if we want to, and sleeping in late whilst on Summer holidays. Having more technological and comfortable lives means we don’t have to live seasonally any more, but it’s also the reason we may experience health issues that can be largely improved with very simple changes.
If you want to start living more seasonally, keep reading for ways to reconnect to nature, and shift your daily routines throughout the year.
Spring – nature’s New Year
The journey through the seasons starts with Spring. This is nature’s ‘new year’, and as we very much are nature, it’s really our new year too. New year’s resolutions would perhaps be made with far more clarity and enthusiasm if we set them in April, rather than in the midst of a dark and cold January 1st, when it’s more suitable to stick with a seasonally Winter approach to living.
Spring is when the world starts to come to life again. It’s the season of love and fertility, growth and abundance, and a real sense of ‘new beginnings’, which makes it a great place to start cultivating a change to your seasonal rhythms. Below, you’ll find some key practices to help you connect more to Spring, which could make a real difference to how you feel in body and mind.
